Every Celtic fan will be delighted Fraser Forster was included in the England World Cup squad. Fraser joined Celtic on loan four years ago, becoming a permanent member of staff in 2012. His transformation over that period has been remarkable, which is no fluke.
He is the most dedicated footballer at the club. First in each morning, around 2.5 hours before official start time, he’s also last out of Lennoxtown almost every day. He is possibly the most complete 365-day-a-year athlete we’ve ever had. This is a player who has set high personal achievement goals and has allowed no distractions to get in his way.
Enormous credit also has to go to the man who has guided him through his meteoric rise in recent seasons, goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods. Without the focus, technical development and remedial work Stevie has added to Fraser’s development we would not have nearly as effective a goalkeeper between the sticks.
It is never good to see anyone lose their job but surely the decision for Hearts to sack Gary Locke was one of the easiest to come out of Anne Budge’s 120 minute review (which was more productive than one 120 day review). Hearts early and late season form, where they comfortably recorded victories against most of their peer group, told a tale of what happened for six months of the season, when the team failed to show up.
Locke had the resources to keep his team in the league this season but found every excuse available to ensure they finished bottom.
I’m less sure Danny Lennon deserved to be hooked. The gap between St Mirren’s 8th placed finish with 39 points and Hibs on 35 points is narrow, but when he needed to dig deep, Lennon was not found wanting. St Mirren might not be so fortunate with their next guy.
Tommy Gemmell
We are going to have the one and only Tommy Gemmell on the blog on Friday afternoon between 13:00 and 16:00. He’ll be available to take your questions and talk about life, football and anything else you care to bring up. Tune in.
Issue 20 of CQN Magazine, CQLisboN, is out and enjoying great reviews. Click here to read for FREE.
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Tommy Craig…….OMG…..
Niallo83
A question to answer your question.
We have won u20s five years on the bounce.
How many, who were 19 , five years ago & are now aged 24 are in first team as regulars?
How many, who were 19, four years ago & are now aged 23 are in first team?
Do you see a trend?
Guys like Henderson and Fisher etc look promising this year.
Two years ago McGeogh and Watt looked promising, and I could go back over 5, 10, 15 years and the pattern is the same.
For the amount of cash we supposedly have spent on youth development over last 10 years, to not have ONE single first team, week in, week out regular is a disgrace.
You can get 10 pairs of sox for abt a fiver You are an embarrassment to CQN!! lol
Steven Thompson…….OMG….
Thindimebhoy, it’s a yes from me, for no other reason than that MWD posts far better recipes than Ernie Lynch:-)
31003
Re L Kelly
http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/lorraine-kelly-faith-schools-foster.html
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/article234462.ece
OMG = Owenie Mc Guire???
bawsman
Fair enough, your opinion. Mine is, it’s Scotland’s Oil and a lot more to come and not from your precious Shetlands. Our coasts are awash with oil. Why has no one mentioned this HS2, I assume that everyone on here agrees with it. What a total con on every taxpayer (huns excepted) that is. Nae wonder I’m a #yes man. :)) KTF
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
tontine.. mcavoy is a good bit younger than me or neganon2.. I might know his mammy.. in fact I could be…. his ‘uncle’ robcfc if u know what i mean..
Every….and I mean EVERY….Scottish referee runs with their chest puffed out….wtf is that aw aboot?
Get wummin referees…..that’s the answer….
OMG – Orchestral manouvers(?) in the gorgie….
Night all. Night wee Oscar God bless x x
31003..naw, it isnae.. no even if they are shaped like a playboy bunny..
31003
Keep ur eye on the game.
Have to go…..wife’s calling me upstairs…………………………………must be another spider…….
squire danaher
23:48 on
13 May, 2014
31003
Re L Kelly
thats her off my christmas list
HH
http://scottishchristian.com/lorraine-kelly-faith-schools-foster-bigotry/
http://www.sconews.co.uk/opinion/10248/we-teach-re-not-rb-religious-bigotry/
31003 23:50 on 13 May, 2014
Every….and I mean EVERY….Scottish referee runs with their chest puffed out….wtf is that aw aboot?
……………………………….
The most stupid question I’ve read on this blog bar none. Everyone knows that before a Scottish referee enters the field of play he is shown the “photie” of Annabel Goldie in the scud and told he’s playing to get one for keeps.
Wouldn’t that make you puff oot yer chest?
31003
Maybe she’s mended ur hole……in ur sock
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
Thindimebhoy, it’s a yes from me, for no other reason than that MWD posts far better recipes than Ernie Lynch:-)
We should have a bake off to decide
Haggi sur Turnipe /Tattis versus the rest…..:)
ACEILERGONOFRUST
I bow to your superior knowledge of a Goldie in a glass,mate. But that image you just presented,of Goldie in the scud?
Ffs,naw!
Annabel, oh how I miss her!!!
Clashcitybhoy
23:47 on
13 May, 2014
Niallo83
A question to answer your question.
We have won u20s five years on the bounce.
How many, who were 19 , five years ago & are now aged 24 are in first team as regulars?
How many, who were 19, four years ago & are now aged 23 are in first team?
Do you see a trend?
Guys like Henderson and Fisher etc look promising this year.
Two years ago McGeogh and Watt looked promising, and I could go back over 5, 10, 15 years and the pattern is the same.
For the amount of cash we supposedly have spent on youth development over last 10 years, to not have ONE single first team, week in, week out regular is a disgrace.
I’ve thought about this aswell. I think the difference now as opposed to 5 years ago is improved underage coaching, St. Ninians (first batch McGregor, George Herron have just reached 20 and the fringes of the first team squad), exposure to the Next Gen tournament and a lack of league opposition meaning some young players are getting a little run in the first team.
I’m confident that Henderson and Twardzik will make it with the first team. Watt has the talent but probably not the dedication/ focus, which is a massive shame!! Fisher, Herron and McGregor may not make it but they will be given a chance!!
clashcitybhoy
The amount we spend on the youth set up is not huge.
We are required by SFA/SPFL to name a certain number of under aged homegrown players in our teams. Recent changes would enable us to field a couple of over age players in our U20 side, but Stevie Frail and John Kennedy have chosen to promote boys from below rather than use the first team players.
McGeouch was looking really good until he received a very bad head injury against Real Madrid in Philadelphia.
He did not look out of place either in our side or against the Spaniards.
Watt’s issue is not ability or promise.
GG
23:43 on
13 May, 2014
niallo83
The transition from the youths is very difficult and a number of factors are against the boys.
There is no reserve league to enable them to continue to improve their game
The demand for instant success at CP means they cannot be risked for a long string of games
Going out on loan means they will be coached in a different style of football
They will also be out of sight of the manager
I believe we should be able to field a reserve team in the lower division to give them games in company with experiences professionals especially players returning from injury.
A reserve team in a lower league would definitely be a step in the right direction. In the meantime players need to do what McGregor and Watt did this year to progress. Go out on loan and play well when given a chance!!
Niallo83,
Sincerely hope you are right and I am wrong.
One thing we could do with addressing is how we manage the PR of our youth set up.
Rather than the propaganda we regularly get at AGM etc about new dawns for youth development, let’s say nothing & keep our mouths closed, for 5 years.
And then , after 5 years, hopefully actions are louder than words, and we can point out the tangible success that 25% of our team are from the youth system , and this rises to 50% in 10 years etc.
squire danaher
There was a growing movement against RC schools in the media and within areas of local politics.
Strangely since the liquidation of rangers its gone quiet
Not saying its directly related but maybe the RC school trolls have more important things on their mind…..
HH
goodnight timland
hh
BMCUWP, you’ll be bowing to it on Saturday. I’ve got a few wee specials lined up for you.
BTW, that doesn’t include our CQN cask, it’s got to do a fair bit of time before it see’s the light of day.
Free the Annabel two.
31003
Toonheid then eh? When & whereabouts. Me, I’m from St. Mungo’s G&I, and James Orr St. till 1970. You?
HH
thindimebhoy
I think Kevin McKenna hits the nail on the head in the SCO link I posted
It’s not ditsy airheads like Kelly we need to concern ourselves with, it’s the intolerant secularists the likes of Wark and Harvie who are the threats.
Salmond has singlemindedly attempted to cajole Catholics onto the dance floor for years with September 2014 in mind. While there are no doubt some in the SNP who are no friends of faith schools, let’s not forget those are joined by the likes of Labour’s Ian Davidson and virtually every Tory who opens their mouth.
Jonny the Tim, I had hoped to see you at the hootenanny. Another time perhaps. Your neighbour was in good form though apart from locking himself out of his house.
Hope to get the painting I bid for at the CQten gig this Saturday. BRTH had to have it taken back to the artist to have a boaby painted onto it.
A high proportion of English Catholic children attend Catholic state schools yet there’s no bigotry problem there.
Maybe Scotland’s the problem.
Kelly is a numpty who thinks she crammed life now she is a so called celeb
As for Wark she has always been anti religion a good friend of mine a debataholic had a wee go at her pusedo working classness
She didnay like I might say
Of course that was before her big time know it all Newsnight years
Wark unplugged My Early Days as a Bitch :)
If there is a new Scotland I expect Salmond or any other politician would not even contemplate encouraging anything that is remotely successful and that includes schools
You build on your strengths Scotland does not necessarily have to change much to remain successful outside of the UK
Most of the main institutions are already in place to govern
Now that the board has quietened down and no one can take a pot shot at me, I have a wife and children (and grand children) who are past masters at that, I can give my views on the Independence Debate.
I voted YES in the devolution vote in 1979. You may not remember that the Labour Government at the time changed the rules, moved the goal posts.
They introduced an amendment which made sure that anyone NOT voting was effectively voting against devolution.
So although there was a voting majority in favour the act failed.
Today I would be inclined to vote YES although I could be convinced otherwise.
I see lofty principles about eradicating poverty. I haven’t seen any ways that will be achieved.
I see we would get rid of the nuclear facilities. I haven’t seen any ideas on how to replace the lost jobs.
I read plans to extend the HS2 to Scotland. I haven’t seen how it would be made profitable or financed.
My heart say YES my head says HOW.
How will we attract manufacturing industries?
How will we attract financial services?
How will we assist existing industries to expand and increase employment?
How will we market our education, our infrastructure, our communications overseas to entice inward investment.
Our poverty problems, I believe, relate to the loss of heavy manufacturing, their apprenticeships and their exports, particularly in the West.
How do we propose to revive the. Clyde?
First off, ‘c’mon the hoops’… Moved back to the Glasgow environs at the start of the year as a consequence of the ‘natural disasters’ that ravage S.E. Asia on a fairly regular basis and caused no little personal mayhem on a structural/civil engineering level but all immediate family OK… We have survived far more severe and painful issues… So, what to do??? Twist or stick??? Should have stuck! So, we will be heading back in July but had we decided to remain in this dear green place, the answer re ‘independence’ would have been a resounding ‘NAW’… Wee Eck just disnae fill me with confidence at all… So will take our chances with something else we have no control over… A bit like the potential outcome of a yes vote… I am not a Unionist but neither am I in favour of the Death Penalty… The allegory is there… Aye, really… TBM
squire Danaher
Of course the SCO Kevin Mc Kenna put it so poignantly when he said
I have never yet met an atheist or humanist who gives a fig about sectarianism in Scotland. “A plague on both your houses,” is their view.
Yet sometimes they wring their hands and pretend to be pious and careworn about it.
How can it be right, they ask, that childhood friends are split up and told to attend different schools according to their parents’ faith? It teaches them the wrong message.
Presumably, they would also shut down all fee-paying schools, or single sex schools for the same reasons. Presumably, too, they must be unaware that faith schools exist in other countries where there is no anti-Catholicism.